The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit against the state two days after Gov. Eric Holcomb signed two abortion measures into law.

Specifically, the ACLU is challenging House Enrolled Act 1211, which bans dilation-and-evacuation abortions except when the mother is at risk of "substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function" or when the fetus is no longer viable.

Dilation and evacuation is the most common type of second-trimester abortion in Indiana, according to Indiana State Department of Health data. However, second-trimester abortions overall are rare in the state. Indiana providers used this method 27 times in 2017 — or for 0.35 percent of all abortions that year — department data showed.

Nevertheless, opponents of the measure emphasize that dilation and evacuation can oftentimes be the safest way to abort a fetus during the second trimester. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says it has fewer complications than other types of abortions in the second trimester.

The ACLU argued the new law is unconstitutional.

“HEA 1211 will discourage women from obtaining abortions and will impose a substantial and unwarranted burden on women’s ability to obtain second-trimester, pre-viability, abortions,” said Ken Falk, legal director at the ACLU of Indiana. “In addition, doctors have an ethical obligation not to subject their patients to potentially harmful procedures that provide no medical benefit. This law would force doctors to do just that.”

The bill had passed the Senate by a 38-10 vote and the House by a 71-25 vote.

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The challenge isn't all that surprising. Indiana's new law contains language similar to language being challenged in other states, and the ACLU told lawmakers they would sue if it became law.

The ACLU routinely sues over the state's abortion laws. Just last year, the group challenged the state over Senate Enrolled Act 340, which required health providers to report all abortion complications. A federal judge issued an injunction.

Holcomb signed a second abortion measure this week, one that expands the list of health care professionals who can opt out of providing abortion services to women, based on moral and religious objections.

Nurses, pharmacists and physician assistants across the state will soon be able to refuse to provide any abortion care. Already, physicians, hospital employees and health clinic staffers have this option under Indiana law.